Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, also the YSRC president, has continued his tradition of social engineering in ticket allocations for every election, and he is maintaining this approach in the current election cycle as well.
In the 2024 elections, Jagan Mohan Reddy has chosen several individuals without any political background, which is particularly noteworthy at a time when electoral contests are often dominated by affluent candidates.
These commoners, who had never considered entering politics or contesting elections before, have been selected by Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Typically, political parties tend to offer party tickets to wealthy individuals or professionals such as doctors and lawyers for the majority of segments.
However, Jagan Mohan Reddy has previously fielded commoners like Nandigam Suresh and Goddeti Madhavi, without any political or wealthy background, in the 2019 elections. They went on to become MPs for Bapatla and Araku, respectively.
Additionally, he provided opportunities to individuals from marginalized communities in the 2019 elections, a move that contributed significantly to the YSRC winning 151 MLA seats.
In the current elections, Jagan Mohan Reddy is taking a revolutionary step by offering tickets to drivers and coolies.
For example, Khaleel Ahmad, a commoner and YSRC activist who works as a goldsmith, has been given the party ticket for the Nellore city Assembly constituency.
Similarly, an ordinary farmer named Sarnala Tirupati Rao is aspiring for the Mylavaram Assembly seat, while Eera Lakkapppa, a coolie, is the candidate for the Madakasira Assembly seat.
Moreover, lawyer Guduri Umabala is the candidate for the Narasapuram LS seat, and tipper lorry driver M. Veeranjaneyulu is the YSRC candidate for the Singanamala Assembly seat.
Veeranjaneyulu expressed his determination to work tirelessly to win the MLA seat, while Khaleel is facing a wealthy Telugu Desam candidate, P. Narayana, who owns Narayana Educational Institutions.
Despite facing formidable opponents, Jagan Mohan Reddy has fielded ordinary citizens like Tirupati Rao against industrialist Vasantha Krishna Prasad or former minister Devineni Umamheswara Rao in Mylavaram.
In a similar vein, Jagan Mohan Reddy has chosen YSRC activist and lawyer Umabala for the Narasapuram LS seat, which is currently represented by stalwart K. Raghu Rama Krishna Raju.
Eera Lakkappa, a coolie from Madakasira, has been selected as the YSRC’s Assembly candidate.
Lakkappa, who once resided in Indiramma's house during Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy's tenure, was astonished to be named as an MLA candidate and proudly refers to himself as a Jagananna representative.
This trend of providing opportunities to individuals from diverse backgrounds is evident not only in elections but also in recent local body elections, where many poor people and volunteers were elected as sarpanches, councillors, corporators, and mayors.
YSRC leaders emphasize that neither the Telugu Desam nor the Jana Sena gave tickets to commoners, preferring instead candidates from affluent sections of society.
In contrast, the YSRC has allocated half of its seats to marginalized groups, illustrating CM Jagan Mohan Reddy's inclusive approach.
Analysts believe that by extending opportunities to individuals from diverse backgrounds, Jagan Mohan Reddy is not only democratizing the political landscape but also fostering a culture of representation that resonates with the common people.